Chapter 125
Become My Sheath
“HAHAHAH!!” Connie laughed freely upon hearing the question.
Akula did not expect this response from her and growled. “What’s so funny?”
“Ahaha…ha…” Connie gradually slowed her laughter to a halt and then gave her a friendly nod. “You are such an honest person, Akula. To actually ask me something like that,” Connie wiped a tear that was coming out of her right eye with her thumb. “Have you ever considered that I might just tell you the answer that you want to hear just for the sake of appeasing you? That I might…lie?”
Her words shocked the Centaur, who blinked a few times as it very slowly dawned on her.
“I…did not think of that.”
“I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended by that.”
Connie smiled, now she began to understand why she liked this odd Centaur. She resembled the Junior Sister in her past life so much. Honest, bullish at times, and as straight as the arrow that she shot.
“As for the answer, what would you do if I said that I am evil?” Connie said, eyeing the odd weapon beside the Centaur. “Would you fight me? With that fearsome weapon on you?”
“Yes,” she began to say, there was a resolution in her eyes. But of what Connie did not know.
“You have lived a privileged life, it seems,” Connie raised a hand before the Centaur managed to rebut her. “By privileged, I did not talk about being rich in money or treasure…” Connie gave a small chuckle. “but being rich in love.”
“Jewels, money, treasures. All of these things are good to have, sure. But they are as drifting clouds,” Connie’s hands swayed, summoning forth a wisp of purple cloud, which she then waved away. “Impermanent, finite.”
“Love and affection - on the other hand – is something different. They sustain us, teach us. You must have a family that truly loved and protected you. That’s how you can stay so pure in your belief of goodness.”
Akula did not realize that the lips under her veil were forming a smile. Yes, she was truly loved, being the only daughter out of her father’s three wives. Even with her uncommon physique, they treated her as their own daughter.
“Yes…” Akula said, agreeing to her words. “That’s why…meeting the Kurosaki Yuuji and you shattered everything I know about good and evil. The Hero I aspired to, who was supposed to protect the world from Demons turned out to be a traitor to the Races. He had dared to try and sully my dignity,” as she worded them, she felt an itch in her body. It was a feeling of disgust that she could not scratch. She inhaled a few times to calm herself.
Akula’s legs tapped the ground a few times before she stabbed the Sukheri into the ground. “And you would put your life on the line to protect me - someone you knew only for a few days - and save the people who reviled you and hated you from the imminent attack of Demons,” She began. “But at the same time, you sow discord as easily as a person breathes. You would cripple an unarmed man without a second thought.”
Connie wondered from whom the last one came from, but she did not comment on that.
“Indeed. If there is only black or white in your world, then I am most definitely black,” Connie gestured with her arms. “But the world is not that simple. There is only a bit of black and white with the various shades of grey in between.”
Akula paced back and forth, her impatience apparent from the way her legs dug a bit too deep into the ground. “At first, I thought that I knew you. Knew myself,” Akula said. “But it turned out that I know nothing. And thinking about it confused me even more.”
“That’s good. The first thing one must do to be free of the chains of preconceptions is to start by realizing that you know nothing,” she said. “That’s why you were told to go out and seek experience, correct? To see, to experience, to learn,” Connie said, her eyes still and deep like a lake within an ancient cavern. “You have seen, and you have experienced, but you have yet to learn.”
“Aren’t those the same thing?”
“It’s as different as a man seeing a painting and merely knowing that it’s a good painting…and a man who understood the meaning and the intent being conveyed by each stroke of the painter’s brush.”
Akula frowned, despite the cold weather, her head was getting hot. “Ugh, why are you always talking like that? It’s so confusing! Why can’t you Stonemen just say the way it is and not use so many words?!”
Connie raised an eyebrow. Huh? Was it that hard to understand?
Unfortunately - or fortunately for Connie – the Cultivator had always been surrounded by people possessed of a certain amount of intelligence and understanding. It was the first time she actually had to teach a person like Akula, who was simple and naive.
“Aargh!” Akula grabbed her Sukheri and pointed its sharp tip at her. All I know is the honesty of steel and the truth of blood! If you want to convince me, you have to do it with your steel!”
“Why?” Connie scratched her chin. “We have no grudge, and we are not at our best condition. A fight like this is pointless. If you just want to vent, you should find Illumca, she’ll accommodate you.”
Connie grunted and prepared to leave when the Centaur called out to her.
“Then how about a bet?!”
----------------------------------------
Connie stopped and slowly turned her head around, a hint of curiosity on her face. “A bet?”
“Yes. A bet. If I win, you will do for me one thing. If you win…I will choose you as my Ezenu.”
“Ezenu? That is an interesting proposition. But no. I have no interest in becoming your Ezenu,” Connie shook her head. “Tell you what. Let us bet the same thing. One wish, anything the winner wants.”
“Deal,” Akula said without thinking any longer. “But I want you to fight me with your strongest weapon. I have only ever seen you fight with your bare hands. I’ve heard that you are very good with a sword.”
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
“…” Connie looked at her right hand, and then at the Centaur. She pondered about this for a minute, clearly hesitant. As she finally made up her mind to take out a training sword, she felt a tug on her sleeves.
“Hm, Chen? You are finished with digesting the poison?”
The purple slime popped out of her body and bounced a few times. It was clear that it had leveled up its strength a few times. Its round body bounced onto her arm and changed its form to a sword. At first, it was gelatinous in texture but then its body became as rigid and as powerful as iron.
“Chen, you…?” Connie held the purple sword in her hand and swung it. It was very light and was not extremely sharp. It was an acceptable sword.
“You have your sword, then?” Akula asked.
“Yes. I suppose I have,” she said. “Then, let us begin.”
The two of them took their places.
Akula was excited for this fight, evident from the way her tail swept left and right so quickly. She felt her body heating up even though the air was freezing.
Akula hit her chest with her left hand. She bellowed. “I am Akula Altanghazar! Tonsulde of Clan Altankheer!”
Connie made the respectful gesture of cupping her right hand, sword facing down. “I am Cornelia Asterium Steelheart,” she closed her eyes as she made a hesitant pause. “A Cultivator.”
----------------------------------------
The first move belonged to Akula, an aggressive rush that aimed the lance at Connie’s heart.
“Haah!!”
Connie saw the power contained in that rush and dashed to the side. As she did so, Akula dug her front legs deep to the ground and made a turn to chase Connie.
Akula swung the Sukheri twice. Connie ducked below the first and jumped over the second with a spin, narrowly evading the fierce attack.
The continuous momentum of the attacks was like an avalanche. After it started, there was no stopping it. It was all Connie could do to dodge.
She heard the wind caused by the oversized weapon during her vigorous attacks and shouted. “Astounding! If one does not have such powerful muscles, their wrists would have broken from such a movement!”
The blonde girl spun in mid-air as she dodged a low swipe. She pushed against the ground as a powerful thrust sunk near where her head would have been if she was a second slower.
“Huh?” Akula was surprised to see Connie standing on her weapon. The blonde girl slashed at the Centaur, but the Centaur lowered her head and threw her body at Connie.
Connie managed to evade the attack and left a souvenir in the form of a scissor kick which got Akula’s head. It would have cracked the skull of a normal person, but it only made Akula see stars.
Now it was Connie’s turn to rush. Her attacks were swift, forcing Akula to adopt a defensive stance using her Sukheri.
Normal metal would have seen marks from Connie’s sword strokes, but the Grasslander’s weapon was tougher than that.
Seeing this, Connie jumped overhead and unleashed a move that she had not used for a long time. She did a series of stabs so fast it looked like falling plum blossoms in the eyes of its target. Third of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique: Rain of Plum Blossom Petals.
Upon seeing the incoming attack, Akula pressed the switch and the lance opened to become an umbrella, shielding her from the technique.
Connie, who did not expect such machination, had her attacks deflected. However, she could not change her position and Akula roared. “Warrior’s Fortitude!”
The Skill, a powerful counter that used the body of the metal umbrella, hit Connie. In her eyes, it was like a massive wall was coming at her from below.
“Hrrmh!”
Connie gathered Yin Energy into her right arm and hit the umbrella. The impact threw her up a few meters. She coughed up a bit of blood and felt like her insides were messed up. As for Akula, it was the first time that she had seen someone dodge the attack from her Sukheri with such skill.
Cracks had started to appear on the sword as it was unable to withstand the impact. Noticing this, Connie threw Chen away.
“Excellent move. Again!!”
Connie clasped her palm together and unleashed a blade of Yin Energy from above.
“Gah!” Akula grunted as he withstood the attack using her Sukheri. She took a deep breath and shouted.
“I ! Won’t !! Lose!!!”
“Earth -!”
Akula coughed madly when her breathing was interrupted by something sharp on her belly.
She looked down and saw Chen, still in the shape of a sword, innocently poking at her abdomen.
Connie landed with one both legs on the top of her umbrella, a smirk on victory on her face.
“I…concede…” the Centaur knew that she had lost and did not refute it. If it was a real duel, she would have a new hole in her stomach.
“You are very strong, Akula. Strength wise I am not your match. But you lack awareness.”
Connie jumped down from her umbrella as Akula bowed to her.
“I have lost,” she said. “You won the bet. You can ask me anything you want.”
“Before we get to that,” Connie said, patting Chen who returned to her arms with a weak wobble. Clearly exhausted from the short but fierce fight. “Did you get anything from the fight?”
Akula took a deep breath before meeting Connie’s eyes.
“Your sword is beautiful and honest,” she replied. “Yet your claws are ruthless. They felt cold and distant. Like the gloom of a rainy day. You just confuse me more.”
“You can glean that much? You are indeed gifted in the Martial Arts,” Connie laughed. “That is correct. I practice both Divine Arts and Heretic Arts,” she paused and let her Yin Energy flow to the ground. Within seconds, the green grasses withered and die. “Evil? Good? Those things do not matter.” Connie patted her chest. “What matters the most is my path. My purpose. My heart. My Dao!!”
The wheat-haired Centaur swallowed. She envied such confidence, such assurance of her own path.
“I do what I do not because people say what I should do. But because that is what I want to do. So, what do you want to do?”
Akula closed her eyes and pondered. When she opened them again, her eyes were tranquil. “I still don’t quite understand what you mean by grey. But I know this now. I want to become a hero. Not because you told me to, but because I want to become one.”
“Excellent. This happened to be connected to my request. What is the easiest way to understand Evil? By following someone like me. Yes. I want you…to become my sheath.”
----------------------------------------
“I’ve already said that you can choose to be my Ezenu…”
“No, I don’t want that. I’ve read about it and that is not what I want from you. I don’t want a Master-Servant relationship. I want someone who has the capability and will to stop me.”
This time, Akula was the one confused. It was getting to be the theme of the day. “What do you mean? What’s the difference?”
“You have seen Illumca and Martell. The two are capable companions, but they aren’t the most dependable. Illumca…is someone who will do everything I asked of her regardless of her morality. As for Martell? He has no morality at all. None of them can do what I am asking you to do.”
Connie walked until she was but one step away from Akula. In her eyes, the Tonsulde could see a grim determination and a tinge of something. Fear…? No, perhaps not.
“In my pursuit of the Dao I will have to make choices,” she pressed her last words. “Choices that might cross my bottom line. It is your job to stop me from making that mistake. To become the sheath that will stop my blade from hurting the innocents.”
Akula kept her silence. Yes. This was something heavier than choosing an Ezenu.
Slowly, she put out her arm. “Upon my honor as a Tonsulde. Upon the name of my ancestors. I swear it. I will become your sheath.”
Connie grasped that powerful arm strongly with both of her arms and said, “Thank you.”
----------------------------------------
After that, the two made their way back. Along the way, Connie asked the Centaur in the blue coat.
“One thing I’m curious, though. Why did you make a bet with me?”
Akula answered his question bashfully. “Well, a part of it was that I want to know the answer to my question, but the other part was…that I want to fight you properly.”
“Just for that?!”
“Of course!” Akula said as if she was asking if seawater is salty. “Fighting someone who killed a Hero? I would not miss that for anything. But I don’t know how to make you do that. So, I asked for advice from Kim. She said that people from your world could not resist a bet with high stakes.”
“Ho? Hahahaahahaa!!” Connie slapped her head and threw her head back. “Kim Sooyoung, oh, that girl is a silent one, but turns out she has a good head on her shoulder!”
Then, Connie noticed something off with her last sentence.
“Wait, did you just say…”my world”?”
“Yes, you are an Otherworlder, right?”
“How did you know that?! Did Kim told you?”
“No. Isn’t it obvious? Everything about you screamed Otherworlder. Doesn’t everyone know that? You know, it was said that one of my ancestors was an Otherworlder too.”
Connie looked at the muscle-headed friend of hers with a wry smile. “Akula, I don’t know whether you are stupid or just very straightforward with your ways.”
“Is that an insult?” the Centaur said in a friendly jab.
“Definitely not an insult. In fact, this just makes me look forward to the future,” Connie paused as the two watched the sun rising over the sea.
“It might not be pleasant or fun. But it will definitely be interesting.”